Feb 20, 2005 - 0840hrs UTC

By Alex on February 20, 2005, at 0840 UTC

0840hrs 20 Feb 2005 UTC 45’09”S 122’43”W Map Ref 72 4095nm

Ladies and gents, it’s decision time. Our weather situation is beginning to look very messy. The high is now down here with us, there’s a nasty low behind and below us and another forming ahead which potentially is messiest of all because we will be perfectly placed up here to cop the strong south easterly flow into the bottom of it right on the nose. We have external advice to head south and get below it – rather earlier than intended and potentially risky with 2100 miles still to go. Anyway, we’re away on the big dive towards the Horn. Not fast at the mo – conditions mean that the best we can do is about 100T but it will get easier tomorrow. We need to get down to 50 S as fast as possible and then assess the situation. This will shorten the journey by a few miles but will put us in potentially much bigger seas for a lot longer. Cross your fingers out there and watch this space.